The U.S. Army is losing its top civilian leader.
Secretary Dan Driscoll is resigning after just 18 months on the job, following months of reported friction with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Download the Straight Arrow app today to get the stories that matter free from manipulation, bias or agenda.™
Point phone camera here
The White House confirmed Driscoll’s resignation Monday but did not give a reason for his departure.
Driscoll has served as the Army’s top civilian leader since his Senate confirmation in February 2025. During that time, he has helped oversee the army during the war with Iran and participated in U.S. efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
“The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement Monday.
Driscoll’s friction with Hegseth
The White House praise comes after months of reported friction between Driscoll and Hegseth.
CBS News reports Driscoll raised concerns with the Trump administration that Hegseth was standing in the way of efforts to transform the Army, including removing generals who had been leading some of that work.
NBC News also cited a source familiar with the matter who said, “Driscoll brought up concerns with the administration surrounding Army transformation and readiness and Hegseth’s blocking those efforts specifically by firing the generals who were responsible.”
Among those removed was Gen. Randy George, the former Army chief of staff who worked closely with Driscoll on efforts to reshape the army.
George and Driscoll had pushed to expand the Army’s use of drones and other unmanned systems, part of a broader effort to change how the service prepares for future wars. Some of those plans have since been scaled back.
And Driscoll may not be the only one leaving.
CBS News reports Deputy Army Undersecretary Dave FitzGerald is also expected to step down this week.
Round out your reading
- All your questions about napping, answered.
- Trump’s $5,000 promise echoes past payouts that never materialized.
- Inside the effort to make data centers pay their share of electricity costs.
- Why did the Feds seize the ’largest Martian meteorite on Earth’?
- Photos and video show exactly where and when Trump visited Ground Zero after 9/11.
